During my student teaching placement at Isaac Fox Elementary School last summer, I came across lots of great books for children. One of the books I saw constantly checked out at the library is Michael Buckley's quirky, fun, and action packed series called the Sisters Grimm. Buckley combines fractured fairy tales (along with other literary allusions), mystery, suspense, and humor into his series that are delightful to read. So far, I've read the first three books last year and plan to continue more. There are currently 8 books in the series. Between going to social events and doing errands around the house, I managed to finish Once Upon a Crime (Book 4) and Magic and Misdemeanors (Book 5) this past weekend.
The Sister Grimm story begins with two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who are seemed to be suddenly orphaned. They move from one horrible foster home to the next until they discover their Grandmother Relda, who they thought was dead. Soon they learn that they are relatives of the famous Brothers Grimms and that the fairy tales that they've read are not only true, but the characters live in a place called Everafter. After solving various mysteries with Grandmother Relda and their friends, they find out that their parents are alive and under a sleeping spell. An secret society called The Red Hand is responsible. Now they must find a way to wake their parents up!

Description of Book 4 and Book 5: Sabrina is continually struggling with accepting her fate as a fairy tale detective. She doesn't want anything to do with the Everafters. She would love to wake her parents and start to have a normal life. Life, of course, has other plans for her. In Once Upon a Crime, the sister's friend Puck, the Trickster King, is injured they must bring him back home. Soon after they arrive, Puck's father, King Oberon, is murdered. The fairy tale detectives are not only hired to solve the mystery, but they also learn new information about their mother. The adventures take a dark turn in Magic and Misdemeanors when important magic pieces are stolen from Everafter. The results are deadly, especially if they are controlled by the Master of the Secret Hand. Will the sisters be successful and who exactly is the Master?

Review: I really enjoy reading this series, mainly because it is so much fun to see which famous fairy tale characters Buckley will use in each installment and how he uses them. For example, Prince Charming goes by the name of Billy has been married several times to Cindy aka Cinderella, Briar Rose, and Rapunzel. His current engagement to Snow White is currently off. He is extremely vain and holds a delicious gray shades of character.
Sabrina and Daphne are great female characters who use their smarts and observation to solve mysteries on their own and with the help of their friends. The overall premise of children helping their parents is great and continues to grow in each book. Each book is roughly under 300 pages and contains about 10 chapters, but because they are action packed and funny as all heck, you can read them very quickly. I would highly recommend this series to children who are either a bit too young for the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series. This series is also a great pick for reluctant readers.

Rating: 4 stars each

Words of Caution: There are some fantasy violence in each book that would be probably rated PG.

If you like this book try:Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley (Book 6) or The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

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